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CA 19-9 and pancreatic cancer: What do the numbers mean?

Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Sep 9, 2023 | Replies (116)
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@palvi

My dad's CA 19-9 level was 4999.9 when he was diagnosed with cancer, after 6 chemo the CA 19-9 level went down to 258 now after 1.5 months CA 19-9 level again increased to 450 . Does that mean that he can is coming back?

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Replies to "My dad's CA 19-9 level was 4999.9 when he was diagnosed with cancer, after 6 chemo..."
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 9, 2021

Hi @palvi,
Here's information about Cancer Antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) https://labtestsonline.org/tests/cancer-antigen-19-9
CA 19-9 is primarily used to monitor response to pancreatic cancer treatment and to watch for recurrence. In the section called "What does the test result mean?" it states:
"Levels of CA 19-9 that are initially high and then fall over time may indicate that the treatment is working and/or that the cancer was removed successfully during surgery. Levels that remain high or rise over time may indicate that treatment is not working and/or that the cancer is recurring."

It is really important that you check with your father’s cancer care team before assuming that his slight rise in levels mean recurrence. The CA 19-9 test is only one test. To confirm a recurrence, they would perform further testing. It is possible that this rise is an expected fluctuations based on treatment. His team can counsel you more accurately.

Is your father currently in treatment? Are you able to communicate with his oncologist?

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